Department for Education

Secondary Education

Lord Northbourne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have, if any, to publish a statement of their objectives for education in secondary schools in the maintained sector, in particular their objectives regarding academic achievement and preparing pupils for wellbeing in adult life and for their prospective roles in the workplace and as parents.

Lord Nash: The government wants all young people to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. This means ensuring that young people achieve academically, have the knowledge and skills to make safe and informed decisions, and develop personal and emotional wellbeing.   Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education supports the teaching of all subjects across the school curriculum. In the introduction to the national curriculum we made it clear that all schools should make provision for PSHE, drawing on examples of good practice.

Department of Health

NHS England: Correspondence

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS England produces prompt and comprehensive replies to correspondence from MPs and Members of the House of Lords.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England is an independent arm’s length body of the Department. NHS England has signed up to a Public and Parliamentary Accountability protocol where it is committed to answering all correspondence in 18 working days, in line with the Whitehall standard.   Adherence to the protocol is verified by the Department, and where standards are not met the Department will raise these at regular accountability meetings with NHS England and agree improvement actions required.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Fracking: Wales

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether onshore fracking for gas in Wales will become the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Welsh Government already has substantial control of onshore oil and gas activities through planning controls and environmental regulation as these are devolved. Through the relevant planning authorities in Wales, the Welsh Government has the power to take decisions on individual shale projects.The Government will implement the St David’s Day Agreement in full which includes devolving licensing functions for onshore oil and gas exploration to Welsh Ministers.